Farm & Agribusiness Underwriting Manager

Mutual of Enumclaw was founded in 1898 by local farmers who wanted to look out for each other. That spirit continues to define our company culture. We are committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness. Our employees are proud of our thoughtful approach to insurance, and it shows. In January 2024, we were recognized as Washington's Best Company to Work For (our twelfth year in a row as one of the top 100) by Seattle Business magazine, based on a survey of our employees.

Mutual of Enumclaw works exclusively with local independent agents to offer insurance products for individuals, families, farms, and businesses. We currently operate in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Montana and Wyoming.

The Farm and Agribusiness Underwriting Manager reports to the Director of Commercial Lines Underwriting and the core duties include providing underwriting expertise and leadership involving underwriting practice, process improvements, expense management, internal auditing, competitive market analysis, Agency Relations/Producer Services, and product development collaboration.  Effectively manage agency assignments to consistently exceed goals. Significantly contribute to the development, implementation, and execution of strategic initiatives, as well as annual, and long-range profitable growth and business plans. Develop policies, and guidelines that positively impact the department and achieve desired business objectives.

Location: This position will be remote, the candidate must be able to work during our core Pacific Standard Time (PST) business hours and must have high speed internet (internet speed test required).

Hiring Range: $131,316 - $153,832

Salary Range: $131,316 - $178,072

*The hiring range represents Mutual of Enumclaw’s current hiring pay scale for this role. Mutual of Enumclaw reserves the right to modify or update this range any time. Exact compensation may vary based on skills and experience. Compensation is only one part of our entire total rewards package. To see some of the benefits and perks we offer, please click here.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Create and sustain a culture of ownership and accountability that encourages the high-performance of individuals and teams.
• Lead and execute underwriting, operational, product, and technology-based training and strategic initiatives.
• Experience with remote management.
• Advise staff on underwriting policies and procedures, technical problems, priorities, and methods.
• Responsible for team engagement and retention through practices that promote positive communication, active listening, recognition, teamwork, and effective employee relations practices.
• Drive a culture that promotes collaboration, diversity, and inclusion.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Ensure the implementation, execution, and monitoring of underwriting policies and procedures with a particular focus on risk selection, exposure analysis, underwriting quality, loss analysis, and pricing.
• Consistently seeks out ways to drive both profit and growth results, and improve member and agent experience.
• Ensures compliance with underwriting authority, quality standards, pricing guidelines, and regulatory standards and provides related coaching.
• Identifies and implements automation and continuous process improvement changes.
• Manage expenses relative to our established budget.
• Frequently review staffing plans to ensure they support the attainment of objectives.
• Reinforce strategy with staff, colleagues, and external audiences and hold the team accountable to achieve desired outcomes.
• Promote effective communication among and between colleagues and different work groups.
• Serve as an industry subject matter expert. Keep abreast of developments in the industry and disseminate relevant information.
• Employ strong analytics and sound judgment when making decisions and monitoring results.
• Communicate pertinent information to senior leadership, along with well-reasoned, meaningful recommendations.
• Partner with sales and marketing team to develop, implement and execute agency business plans.
• Identify, innovate, and suggest new procedures, and/or opportunities to streamline Department processing and record-keeping systems and practices.
• Contribute to developing and executing underwriting strategies for the department.
• Review and approve underwriting referrals within designated authority.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Proven track record of achieving profit and growth objectives.
• Ability to research and resolve increasingly complex problems, prioritize project tasks and collaborate with team members in situations that are frequently ambiguous.
• Demonstrate a fundamental understanding of the local marketplace and insurance industry trends.
• Understand organizational and regulatory rules, policies, and procedures and effectively employ that knowledge in day-to-day work and leading the team.
• Exhibit curiosity by asking questions, being investigative, and probing.
• Demonstrate a sense of urgency and reliability.
• Exhibit teamwork and collaborates well with others.
• Communicate clearly and professionally, both verbally and in writing
• Challenge the status quo and bring forward recommendations.
• Ability to function well in a high-paced environment.
• Utilize data to make informed decisions and clearly communicate the reason for the decision.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite and related software.
• Knowledge of reinsurance treaties and their impact on our business.
• Take ownership of actions and outcomes by analyzing performance to plan, implementing actions to address gaps, and holding the team accountable to meet our business plan.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Insurance, Risk management, Mathematics, Statistics, Finance, Economics, or Business preferred; or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of progressive underwriting experience, including at least 4 years of Far/Ag underwriting experience preferred.
• 5+ years of leadership experience desired.
• Industry designations such as CPCU, CIC, AFIS, or ARM are preferred.

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer, including video conferencing.
• Some travel will be required.